System and Method for Providing Improved Packet Traceability

• US 20080275972A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovation Asset Collective
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Davies, Barry, Ellis, Donald, Smallegange, Gerald, Phillips, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A method and apparatus is described which enables location information associated with a client to easily be obtained by a service provider in a packet-based network. The location information may be the location of the client itself, or may be location information associated with devices in a communication facility established by the client. Location information associated with the client may be provided to services such as emergency services to facilitate fast dispatch of resources to assist the client. Location information associated with facilities of the client may be used to facilitate lawful interception of client communications. In one embodiment, the location information is obtained using information included in one of a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) or Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) packet.

Claims

1. A method of locating of point of interest in a packet based network includes the steps of:

determining a service identifier associated with the point of interest; and

using mapping information that associates service identifiers with tunnels and network identifers (source address, connectivity and destination address) in one of a Provider Backbone Bridged (PBB) or Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) network to locate the point of interest in the packet based network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the service identifier occurs in response to a request to monitor a client associated with the service identifier, and wherein the method further includes the steps of:

determining a tunnel identifier associated with the service identifier; and

monitoring a plurality of devices in the packet based network to identify a set of devices traversed by the tunnel, where the location of the point of interest is at a device traversed by the tunnel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving receives the service identifier occurs in response to a request by a service associated with a client, the location of the client is the point of interest, and the method further includes the steps of:

identifying an end point of a tunnel associated with the service identifier;

determining an address of the end point of the tunnel;

retrieving location information for the client from the end point of the tunnel; and

returning the location information to the service.

4. A method of determining a location of a client requesting a service from a service provider of a packet-based network includes the steps of:

receiving a service request, the service request comprising a header, the header comprising an address of an edge node in the packet based network associated with the client and a service identifier associated with the client; and

retrieving location information for the client from the edge node identified by the address using the service identifier; and

returning the location information to the E911 service.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the address of the edge node is the Media Access Control Bridge address of the edge node.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the packet based network is a Provider Bridge Backbone (PBB) or Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) network, and wherein the header comprises a service provider portion and a client portion.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the address includes a tunnel address associated with the service identifier.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the location information includes one of a Common Language Location Identifier or GPS location co-ordinates associated with the client.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the location information includes a Common Language Equipment Identifier or IP node equipment address associated with the edge device.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the location information includes interface information associating the client to the edge device.

11. A device coupled to a packet-based network comprising:

monitoring logic for monitoring headers of packets that traverse the device;

a table for associating service identifiers and tunnel identifiers provided in headers of packets that traverse the device; and

means, responsive to receipt of a request to locate a client, for determining a service identifier associated with the client and retrieving an address of an edge node associated with the client; and

means for accessing the edge node to retrieve location information associated with the client including means for responding to the request by returning the location information associated with the client.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein each of the headers further comprises a service provider header portion and a client header portion.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the location information includes Common Language Location Identifer or GPS location co-ordinates associated with the edge device.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the location information includes Common Equipment Location Information or IP node equipment address associated with the edge device.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the location information includes interface information associating the client to the edge device.

16. An edge device coupled to a packet based network core comprising:

means for associating a service identifier to a tunnel identifier;

a table for storing, for each tunnel which the edge device is an end-point, interface information for a client associated with the end-point; and

means for providing the interface information for the client to a requesting service.

17. The edge device of claim 16 further comprising a Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) or GPS location co-ordinates, and wherein the edge device includes means for providing the CLLI or GPS to the requesting service.

18. The edge device of claim 16 further comprising a Common Equipment Location Identifier (CLEI) or IP node equipment address and wherein the edge device includes means for providing the CLEI to the requesting service.

19. A method of identifying a location of at least one network device that is associated with a client communication in a packet-based network includes the steps of:

receiving a request to monitor a client;

identifying at least one service identifier associated with the client;

identifying at least one tunnel associated with the service identifier; and

monitoring a plurality of network devices in the packet-based network to detect a traversal of the packets using the at least one tunnel through the plurality of network devices including identifying a set of network devices traversed by the tunnel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of monitoring includes the step of monitoring Provider Bridge Backbone (PBB) packets, extracting PBB headers and comparing tunnel identifiers including the PBB headers against an identifier of the at least one tunnel to determine a match.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of monitoring includes the step of monitoring Provider Bridge Transport (PBT) packets, extracting PBB headers and comparing tunnel identifiers including the PBB headers against an identifier of the at least one tunnel to determine a match.

22. The method of claim 19 further including the step of, responsive to the determination of a match, forwarding attachment interface information associated with the at least one tunnel to a lawful intercept service.

23. A device in a packet-based network comprising:

means for monitoring received packet traffic to detect a traversal of the packets associated with a particular tunnel, including means for comparing a tunnel identifier in a header of received Provider Backbone Bridge packets against an identifier of the particular tunnel to detect a match; and

means for forwarding attachment information associated a received packet having a tunnel identifier that matches the identifier of the particular tunnel to a lawful intercept service.